Trouble logging in?If you can't remember your password or are having trouble logging in, you will have to reset your password. If you have trouble resetting your password (for example, if you lost access to the original email address), please do not start posting with a new account, as this is against the forum rules. If you create a temporary account, please contact us right away via Forum Support, and send us any information you can about your original account, such as the account name and any email address that may have been associated with it.

I'd enjoy the series more if it wasn't 1% zombie, 99% bickering and soap opera bitchings of unlikable characters endlessly repeating the exact same bitching for an entire season.

Part of the reason the first half of season 2 was so meandering was the writers way of showing how the rescue mission of the little lost girl was weighing on the minds of everyone, while also reflecting the limbo of their situation. While I definitely agree that the first half of the season carried on too far with this conceit, quickly becoming boring instead of tense (though there were a few moments every episodes well worth the longer moments of boredom), I do like the basic idea of the limbo quality of the early episodes. Thankfully, the second half of the season picked up quite a bit (though the character development was still spotty at times).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lost Cause

I mean katanas? All they need now is Bruce Campbell wielding a chain saw, shotgun and an old car to show up!

This always makes me a little confused. Why would anyone be willing to suspend their disbelief for a zombie apocalypse, but the idea of a katana as a weapon (or other off-brand weaponry that requires an equal degree of maintenance as a gun) during the zombie apolaypse is anathema?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyero Fox

^ funny but 0 zombies till the end.

I have to ask: do you dislike Romero's original series for similar reasons? Or really, most zombie films? It's very rare to see a "good" zombie film that doesn't feature zombies sparingly.

Truthfully, I have little interest in the zombies themselves during a zombie apocalypse (they are not real characters, or at least they show little actual development). Rather, I am more interested in how people survive and what their life is like during a zombie apocalypse (and let's face it, running and hiding from zombies is the only way to survive a zombie apocalypse).

^Partially because the katana has a limited range, dulls quite easily, and can be stuck in bone. Secondly a weapon, any weapon is only as good as its operator! And I rather doubt the person in question was trained in any sort of martial art, more likely hack and slash with the three foot razor blade.
We covered swords in the old Zombie thread if you remember? And I preferred the Roman Gladius as its a stouter blade destined for both hack and slash as well as stabbing. But in the real world a firearm is preferable as distance is your friend!
As for the show, yeah they're really reaching with the sword thing, but I'll watch the premier nonetheless.

My ideal anti-zombie melee weapon against the Walking Dead type of zombie is the double-sided iron mace staff.
long staff with rectangular steel mace on each end.

Makes it a lot easier to consecutively crush zombie skulls quickly and efficiently.
And no need to worry about dull blades!

Quote:

Originally Posted by james0246

Truthfully, I have little interest in the zombies themselves during a zombie apocalypse (they are not real characters, or at least they show little actual development). Rather, I am more interested in how people survive and what their life is like during a zombie apocalypse (and let's face it, running and hiding from zombies is the only way to survive a zombie apocalypse).

They don't have to show zombies non-stop, but zombies must be the primary threat the protagonist must face against, not stupid social drama of "I don't like you so I'll kill you" stupidity. Can you imagine how terrible Highschool of the Dead anime would have been if 90%+ of the screen time was Rei bitching about everything? Because you know, that's exactly what this show had turned into. LOL.

Melodrama social conflicts has it place, but it should take a backseat to actually facing the survival issue, not be the prominent force of the plot.
Whoever wrote the first half of the 2nd season was a complete idiot who didn't have a CLUE on priority.

^Partially because the katana has a limited range, dulls quite easily, and can be stuck in bone. Secondly a weapon, any weapon is only as good as its operator! And I rather doubt the person in question was trained in any sort of martial art, more likely hack and slash with the three foot razor blade.
We covered swords in the old Zombie thread if you remember? And I preferred the Roman Gladius as its a stouter blade destined for both hack and slash as well as stabbing. But in the real world a firearm is preferable as distance is your friend!
As for the show, yeah they're really reaching with the sword thing, but I'll watch the premier nonetheless.

Let me repeat this, Walking Dead is about a Zombie Apocalypse. An apocalypse caused by Zombies. If you are willing to suspend your disbelief so far as to accept the fact that the dead can come back to life (and decide human flesh is good eats), then disputing the use of a sword (any type) in such a fictional landscape seems downright silly.

Additionally, to put it in perspective, crazy blond woman (Lauren Holden) spent all of two episodes learning how to shoot a variety of firearms. After those two episodes, she could hit a moving target with a chance to kill at a 100 yards (thereabouts). That is impossible in the real world. Hell, being able to use any firearm in a reasonable fashion is almost impossible after only a few days. Yet, the entire series, nay the entire Zombie Apocalypse mythos, is built around the idea that anyone can pick up any gun at any time and start getting clean head shoots (with any type of gun) within days if not hours.

If you, are anyone, is willing to suspend their disbelief so far as to allow these very unrealistic ideas, then why not swords? What's the big deal? They may not work a certain way in real life, but this is clearly not real life (though it is nowhere near as bad as the chainsaw arm from Evil Dead that you referenced earlier).

That being said, and to repeat what I wrote in the apocalypse thread, the main weapon everyone needs in a zombie apocalypse is a big stick (metal or otherwise). Your main defense and offense is always to run away, and frankly guns provide something of a very false sense of security (guns are most useful on humans because they can cause humans to retreat or surrender; since Zombies never retreat, guns are essentially useless beyond the dozen or so zombies that you can kill before you run out of bullets and have to run or die), but a big stick is a constant companion that can always help you, and since your main weapon is the big stick you will always try to steer clear of entering any situation where a big stick is useless.

Big Stick for President!

Quote:

Originally Posted by aohige

Melodrama social conflicts has it place, but it should take a backseat to actually facing the survival issue, not be the prominent force of the plot.
Whoever wrote the first half of the 2nd season was a complete idiot who didn't have a CLUE on priority.

I never disputed this (though, I do think part of the survival process is finding ways to work with others). My problem wasn't so much the pacing (which was bad), but rather the character regression from episode to episode. Characters would learn some valuable lesson in one episode, only to regress the next episode, relearn the same lesson, then regress again until they either die, or whatever lesson they were supposed to learn becomes irrelevant. Not only was this an uninteresting and boring process, it was downright idiotic at times, and thoroughly broke any of the shows tension and drama (which, when done right, was quite powerful).

When they came back from short hiatus in the second half of the second season, and immediately showed improvement by Rick using his blood to draw a zombie to the fence and dispatch with ease with the knife, I shouted "See, THIS is what I was looking for in this series. Innovative way to solve critical problems. Not 'MEH I DISLIKE YOU' 'I DISLIKE YOU MOAR' for six straight hours."

It's like, the whole "figuring out solutions to survive" doesn't have any impact other than oooh ahhh of the moment, and zero lasting effect.

I'm not disputing the use of any sword, just pointing out the attempt by the producer to draw more of an audience by having a twin katana wielding female now in the show.
I'm going to table the discussion of guns and false security for another thread! As well as the "Big Stick" theory also.
I was only pointing out the limitations of the katana (or any other sword for that matter) in this hypothetical situation, and listing my preferences!
Remember we're allowed our opinion, and this is mine, and that's all it is.
But the show has gotten rather silly though.

Yeah, it was clear the producers/writers decided to forgo the melodrama of last season for a complete bloodbath. Lots of fun.

Pacing was good (a nice mixture of the slow and fast and the tense and frantic with the peaceful), acting on par with the rest of the series (the new dynamic between Rick and his wife is interesting, and it is really cute seeing their son try and impress the only girl close to his age range), and the gore was certainly plentiful. I also like the time skip; the medias res nature of the story helps to add to the drama. Can't wait for next week 84/100.

Yeah, it was clear the producers/writers decided to forgo the melodrama of last season for a complete bloodbath. Lots of fun.

Pacing was good (a nice mixture of the slow and fast and the tense and frantic with the peaceful), acting on par with the rest of the series (the new dynamic between Rick and his wife is interesting, and it is really cute seeing their son try and impress the only girl close to his age range), and the gore was certainly plentiful. I also like the time skip; the medias res nature of the story helps to add to the drama. Can't wait for next week 84/100.

Damn! And I missed it! I read on another forum that they got a weapons upgrade as well?

I am super pumped for new Walking Dead episodes. I've been following this show since day one and it just keeps getting better. I hope there is more zombie action this season than there was last season though.

My friends all read the comics and are telling me tidbits of spoilers about the upcoming season. It's gonna kick some serious ass.